Crossing the Trinity River Viaduct — 1946

by Paula Bosse

Streetcar on the Trinity River Viaduct (click for larger image)

by Paula Bosse

A few days ago I posted a photograph of a streetcar pulling into Oak Cliff, having just crossed the Trinity River Viaduct (link below). In this photo, we see what streetcars of the period looked like actually crossing the viaduct.

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Photo by Robert F. Richardson, taken on June 5, 1946. From the Western History/Genealogy Dept., Denver Public Library, viewable here.

Photos of these double-ended streetcars taken from a distance present a bit of a Pushmi-Pullyu problem in determining which direction they’re heading, but if you enlarge the photo at the Denver Public Library link just above, you can see the silhouette of the operator at the eastbound end of the car, driving the car toward Dallas.UPDATE: I’m wrong! The car is moving toward O.C., not Dallas! That motorman silhouette is a figment of my imagination! See the comments below for tips on how an amateur like myself who’s never actually seen a streetcar can tell which direction one is moving. (Thanks, Bob and Bob for the correction!)

Streetcars ran back and forth across the Trinity River on a special trestle just south of the Oak Cliff Viaduct/Houston Street Viaduct. It had been in use since 1887 (through various renovations) and was demolished in the early 1970s to build the present-day Jefferson Street Viaduct. The streetcar shown is from the Dallas Railway & Terminal Co. fleet.

My previous post mentioned above, “Waiting for a Streetcar on a Sunny Winter Day in Oak Cliff — 1946,” contains a fantastic photo taken by the same photographer, four months earlier, showing people waiting for the approaching streetcar just after it’s crossed the river; that photo can be seen here.

When a street car reached the end if the line, the driver would take the fare box off a pole next to his seat, carry it to the other end of the car, install it on a pole there. He would then walk back down the aisle grabbing ovals on the seat backs in each hand and flipping them to the new rear so as to face forward. He would then exit the car, wind down the engaged power pole and secure it. Then walk to then walk to the new rear rear of the car let up the now rear power pole reenter the driver seat and away he goes

The deployed pole always trails behind the car moving forward. The pole at the other end of the car (now flat on the roof) can be run up and the pole presently up can be retracted and then the car will be able retrace its path. At that point the motorman will have to move to the other end of the car. Pushmi-Pullyu!

Our family moved from Oak Cliff, (E. 12th st) to East Dallas. I still had a close boyfriend in Oak Cliff that I would visit via the street car. Had to transfer in downtown Dallas. The ride over the Trinity River was always exciting. No guard rails, except over the river itself. The car rocked side ways all the way over. Streetcars made so much sense. I really miss the rides I took on them. They have a certain sound, movement and smell that is still in my memory.